Senior Living News

Understanding how anxiety can impact you as an older adult and what steps to take if you face this common mental health challenge can be critical to supporting independence and joy in life during retirement.

What Are Some Symptoms of Anxiety?

Anxiety can be an intensely personal emotion or condition, and it shows up differently for each person. Some common signs of anxiety include:

• Problems sleeping, especially trouble getting to sleep at night
• Changes in appetite, such as a lack of appetite
• Poor eating habits that come from stress eating
• Being easily alarmed or finding yourself developing extreme worry over minor issues
• Unexplained sweating or trembling
• An irritable mood
• Physical symptoms, such as stomach issues or headaches, that aren't explained by other conditions
• Trouble focusing or extreme restlessness

None of these symptoms alone indicate anxiety. A headache here or there or a bit of an upset stomach, for example, can be just part of life. And trouble sleeping for a couple of days can be related to lack of exercise, something you ate or just being busier than normal. However, if you experience several of these symptoms or deal with them for a prolonged period of time, talk to your health care provider to rule out issues or identify a potential anxiety disorder.

What Treatments Are Available for Anxiety Disorders?

How anxiety disorders are treated depends on factors such as the severity of the disorder, what triggers it and the physiological nature of the disorder. Treatments offered by medical and mental health professionals include:

• Talk therapy. Treatments such as cognitive behavioral therapy help you learn to recognize the relationship between thought patterns and anxious behaviors. Therapy helps you identify and practice healthier coping mechanisms to reduce the potential control anxiety has over your thoughts, responses and lifestyle. You can engage in this type of treatment in residential or outpatient programs, with individual therapists each week or a few times a month, or online via web conferencing software.
• Medication. In some cases, doctors prescribe medication to help manage anxiety, nerves, depression and other responses. These are often most effective when there's a physiological reason for the anxiety. General practitioners and specialists can order prescription medication for anxiety, so if you believe you might benefit from this type of treatment, start by discussing options with your doctor.

Lifestyle Changes That Can Help With Anxiety

Whether you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder or simply want to make some holistic changes in your life to reduce general stress and anxiety, you have many options. Some ways you can combat anxiety in your life include:

• Implement regular exercise. Physical anxiety might just be pent-up energy. Getting in more walking or joining in on an exercise or movement activity if you live in an assisted living community, such as Collinwood in Fort Collins, CO, might release some of that energy and support a calmer approach to the rest of your day.
• Address sleep issues. If you aren't sleeping well for other reasons, you may feel more anxious or stressed during the day. Talk to your health care provider about serious sleep issues, and consider investing in a more comfortable sleep environment. A better mattress, cooling comforter or blackout curtains might help you sleep better.
• Make dietary changes. Eating a well-balanced diet can help with cognitive function and reduce both mental and physical anxiety. Some foods, such as those high in caffeine or sugar, can lead to feeling anxious and jittery, so it's typically best to consume those in moderation. Other foods and beverages, such as chamomile tea, can promote a calm feeling.
• Integrate wellness and relaxation activities. Try to add a relaxation activity to your daily schedule. You may need to try out several to find what works for you, but common options can include prayer and Bible study, art activities such as coloring or painting, needlework, woodworking, yoga or meditation. Some people relax when they cook or garden, or you might find listening to music or audiobooks or reading relaxes you.

Whatever approach you take to reducing anxiety in your life, avoid making it a long list of things you have to do every day or "fail." This approach can actually increase your anxiety, so it may be better to choose one thing to work on at a time. You can always add other positive habits as you make changes toward a healthier and more vibrant retirement lifestyle.

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